Jets DL Quinnen Williams, drafted third overall in 2019, covets a long-term deal so he can be part of what he called "the New York Sack Exchange 2.0," Rich Cimini of ESPN New York reports.  The Jets want that, too -- the two sides have been in discussions for about two months -- but the exploding market for premier defensive tackles has raised the stakes. It has turned into a game of "Can you top this?"

Since early March, the Washington Commanders' Daron Payne ($22.5 million average per year) and the Tennessee Titans' Jeffery Simmons ($23.5 million APY) have signed blockbuster extensions, with Payne's deal coming on a franchise tag. In free agency, Javon Hargrave landed $21 million APY from the San Francisco 49ers.

Williams, the Miami Dolphins' Christian Wilkins and the New York Giants' Dexter Lawrence -- all drafted ahead of Simmons in the 2019 first round -- are waiting in line at the ATM. Williams, the only one in the group with a first-team All-Pro selection on his NFL résumé, has a strong case to be the highest-paid defensive tackle not named Aaron Donald, based on performance and the current market.

The Los Angeles Rams superstar reset the market -- and then some -- with a three-year, $95 million contract in June 2022. At $31.7 million per year, it was about $10 million more than the next-highest defensive tackle at the time.

Recognizing Donald and his contract as outliers, Williams isn't thought to be seeking that kind of money. He's probably targeting the $23 million to $25 million-a-year range. Not long ago, top quarterbacks made that much, but the defensive tackles -- helped by Donald and a group of mid-20s tackles who have elevated the position -- have blown up the financial landscape.

Without a new contract, Williams won't report Monday for the start of the offseason program, something he vowed when he went public with his position at the end of the season. The workouts are voluntary until June 13, the start of mandatory minicamp. His decision on whether to participate in the mandatory camp will hinge on the progress of negotiations. If he skips, he's subject to a fine. Perhaps it won’t reach that point as the two sides continue to hammer away at it.

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